Pat Rupp was born August 12, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan. A graduate of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Flin Flon Bombers, Rupp joined the Eastern Hockey League's Philadelphia Ramblers in 1963-64 and was a member of the 1964 US National Team and 1964 US Olympic Team that competed in Innsbruck, Austria.

During the 1963-64 season, the Ramblers loaned Pat Rupp to the Detroit Red Wings to replace an injured Terry Sawchuk. In his only NHL game, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Rupp and the Red Wings 4-1.

In 1964-65, Rupp split his season with the International Hockey League's Dayton Gems and the Eastern Hockey League's New Jersey Devils. Rupp spent the next two years with Dayton, sharing the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the fewest goals against with fellow teammate John Adams.

Rupp joined the US National Team in 1967-68 and competed in his second Winter Olympic Games with the US Olympic team in Grenoble.

Following his return to the US National Team, Rupp rejoined the Dayton Gems in 1968-69 where he spent the next four years of his career.

From 1972 to 1975, Pat Rupp stepped away from the game only to return in 1975-76 with the North American Hockey League's Buffalo Norsemen. Rupp retired from hockey once again in 1976 to 1979 before coming back for one last seson with Dayton in 1979-80.